Re the A5 upgrade; one of the recent letters on this subject pointed out the fact that we need to concentrate more on our public transport system.

As someone who has been prevented over the years from being as independent as I would have liked, thanks to the still abysmal 'choice' regarding bus/train timetables - for example, the last train from Belfast to Coleraine is 9.15pm, while the last bus leaves at 6.20pm which is useless for activities such as late-night shopping, as well as being a timetable that has hardly changed since the days of the Troubles - I couldn't agree more.

We don't need more roads - especially one as pointless as this one which is only going to cut five minutes off the journey at each end. Furthermore, it is immoral as it is going to destroy people's homes and the countryside. Look at the eyesore that is Craigavon and then see archive film of how beautiful that area used to be.

Of course the usual ad nauseum reasons given in its favour are trotted out: money/trade/jobs. Well I know I'm not alone in considering people and quality of life more important.

Plus, in an era when we're constantly being bullied by our 'lords and masters' into being more green ie., nagged to watch our carbon footprint and about to be forced to pay for plastic bags, it flies in the face of all that we are preached to about. Not very consistent, is it?

Our MLAs seem only willing to pay lip service to being green if there's money in it for them. And talking of 'filthy lucre', there's always plenty, mysteriously, to hand when it comes to our politicians' pet projects such as these.

Strangely, when it involves desperate situations like availability of life-extending drugs, keeping police-stations and A-amp;E departments of hospitals open, or locking up dangerous criminals, it's always the same old 'Sorry, we don't have the resources, blah, blah, blah...'

Maybe it's time our elected representatives remembered that that is what they are. Elected by us. To serve us. Not the other way round. Which means no more riding roughshod over our feelings by bulldozing through ill-thought-out policies, no matter who they hurt.